OFF THE DRIBBLE; Sounds of Free Agency

By JAY SCHREIBER

Published: July 3, 2010

Two days into N.B.A. free agency, Billy Joel appears to be doing somewhat better than the Knicks. His song ''New York State of Mind,'' written in the 1970s, is suddenly being cited in all sorts of places as teams court players and
players banter with reporters.

On Thursday in Cleveland, Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni summoned the song's title as he met with members of the news media to talk about the team's just-completed meeting with LeBron James. ''We tried to put him in a New York state
of mind,'' D'Antoni said of James.

On Friday in Chicago, Dwyane Wade was on his way into a hotel to meet with the Knicks' hierarchy when he playfully told reporters that he was in a ''New York state of mind.''

Actually, the odds are that neither James nor Wade will be in a New York state of mind when the next N.B.A. season begins; there's a good chance they'll both be playing elsewhere, maybe even together in Chicago.

Presumably, the song will still have a presence at Madison Square Garden, since it is played regularly after Knicks games, win or lose, which, these days, usually means the latter. And as for the state of mind of Knicks fans, let's see how free agency
ultimately plays out.

This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print.